Editor's Blog: MotoMatters.com Voted MotoGP Blogger Of The Year In Silverstone Media Awards

Submitted by David Emmett on Fri, 2012-12-14 15:32

MotoMatters.com has won the MotoGP Blogger of the Year awared in Silverstone's annual media awards for the second consecutive year. After more than 3,500 votes had been counted, we were voted best MotoGP blogger for the second year running.

Firstly, we'd like to thank everyone who voted for us. It is a truly humbling experience to have so many people make the effort to show their appreciation with their votes. And thanks to the people who help to make the site what it is: Scott Jones, one of the very, very best photographers in the MotoGP paddock, Jared Earle, who has taken on coverage of World Superbikes and made it far better than I could ever have hoped to on my own, Venancio Luis Nieto for adding so much insight into the Moto2 class, and the other contributors who help to make the site what it is, Andrew Gosling, Ben Davies, Jules Cisek, and Russ, Joe, Dave, Len and many others for help behind the scenes. The encouragement we receive is what keeps us going, through both hard times and good times.

We are in venerable company indeed. The official MotoGP.com website won best website award, as well as the prize for best MotoGP tweeter. British publication MCN won best MotoGP publication - the quality of the articles in the print version of the paper and in MCN Sport is many light years ahead of their website, and once senior management finally accepts the inevitable, and publishes the same quality articles that only appear in the paper version, they will wipe most other websites away - and the Daily Telegraph won the prize for best MotoGP coverage in a national (UK) newspaper.

When I first started the site, I never really thought of it as a blog, but over the years, I have come to realize that this is exactly what MotoMatters is, and should be. I never really understood what people mean by a blog - I still don't - but given that we don't have the resources, and I don't have the ambition to be a fully comprehensive news site, I suppose the word 'blog' best fits the bill. What we try to do is pick out the most relevant and important developments in the world of motorcycle racing, report them, and explain their significance. I have never felt comfortable being called a journalist - in truth, I feel I am a very mediocre journalist - preferring to regard myself as a writer instead. It is heartening to know that there is an audience out there interested in what we have to say, and appreciative of the analysis we provide.

Which brings me to perhaps my proudest achievement. While generally, debate on the internet results in people flinging insults at each other from behind the anonymity of adopted pseudonyms, the level of discussion on MotoMatters.com is exceptionally high. People inside the MotoGP paddock have regularly expressed their approval of the intelligence of the comments from readers, and the civil and intelligent tone taken. That has evolved with little necessity on my part to intervene - though I have done so on several occasions, and sometimes preemptively, if I feared the debate would get out of hand. I am always grateful, and frequently both astonished and humbled by the level of debate about the articles, which can often make my own writings look rather threadbare in comparison.

While it is wonderful to receive the accolades of the public, I would also like to point out that there are still some gaps missing in these awards. There is, for example, no award for World Superbikes. There are no awards for podcasts, in either category, though the prize for best MotoGP podcast could only go to MotoPOD, and the best F1 podcast would surely go to the one produced by Formula1Blog.com.

Though the internet receives an awful lot of criticism from the existing print media - the MotoGP press room is rapidly emptying out, as magazines go out of business and national newspapers cut back on expenses, their failure to adapt to and find a way to monetize changing circumstances proving to be very costly - the internet has added a vast amount of extra depth to the way that fans can interact with the sport that they love. Photographers have been the first to understand this, with people such as Andrew Wheeler and Scott Jones using the tools provided by Social Media to share what they love with their fans. But it has also allowed intelligent insiders such as Ian Wheeler and Alex Briggs to give an inside view into the workings of a MotoGP team, and help educate fans on the intricacies and attention to detail that goes into racing successfully. And it has brought hilarity, in the shape of parody Twitter account TwitGP, Eurosport blogger Duncan Bishop, and armchair comedian and critic SofaRacer. The world is changing, and adapting to change is hard, but it offers new opportunities all the time.

So thank you all once again, and if you love what we do and want us to keep doing it, please help us keep it going. Buy yourself a MotoMatters Racing Calendar, and treat yourself to 15 of Scott Jones' fantastic pictures to hang on your wall. Take out a MotoMatters subscription: you get little in return, but most of all, you know that you are helping us to get to the races and report on it. To the many people who have already supported us, our thanks, and to those who just visit and read the site, thank you too, the advertising revenue from the site helps too.

At the end of another exhilarating motor sport season, Silverstone is delighted to announce the winners of the 2012 Silverstone Media Awards. More than 3,500 viewers, listeners, readers and followers voted in the circuit’s online poll, inviting fans to nominate their favourite source of news and gossip from the 2012 F1 and MotoGP™ paddocks.

All fans voting in the Silverstone Media Awards were entered into a prize draw to win two hospitality places at either the FORMULA 1 BRITISH GRAND PRIX (28 – 30 June), or the MotoGP British Grand Prix (30 August – 01 September) at Silverstone in 2013. Ten runners-up will each receive a Silverstone Goody Bag.

The winners of the 2012 Silverstone Media Awards, as voted by the fans, are:

Formula 1™:

Best television channel for F1 coverage:
Winner: BBC

Best national newspaper for F1 coverage:
Winner: The Telegraph / Sunday Telegraph

Katie Tyler, Head of Communications for Silverstone Circuits Limited, commented, “Formula 1™ and MotoGP™ fans are passionate about the sports they follow. The Silverstone Media Awards have provided those fans with a platform to acknowledge and show their appreciation for the media who keep them up-to-date with everything that’s going on, throughout the year.

“We have had a fantastic response to the 2012 Silverstone Media Awards, with more than 3,500 fans casting their votes. The awards mean a great deal to the winners, as they are voted for by the fans, in recognition of their work. We look forward to presenting this year’s winners with trophies to acknowledge their contribution towards another fantastic season of both two and four-wheeled motor sport.”

For further information on 2013 events at Silverstone visit www.silverstone.co.uk, or call 0844 3728 270.

Comments

For what it's worth David I think the definitions for "blog" compared to more traditional but now online news publications are blurring, or even somewhat merging. Blogs used to be defined and distinguished in large part as being single user, single subject, and inviting of reader comments. Now 'blogs' such as yours have multi users (e.g. someone different writing about MotoGP vs. WorldSuperbikes), multi subjects (the aforementioned different bike disciplines), and on the other side more traditional publications invite reader comments as much as the 'blogs' do.

I think the only remaining thing that might really distinguish this site as a blog is the layout - predominately made up of single entries in reverse chronological order on one primary page (though I realize there's actually a lot more depth to the site than that).

At any rate, I'll congratulate you no matter what this site should be called (because it's well deserved) if you promise not to search for how many times per day my IP address browses it :) I'd also say you're a great journalist.

No surprise here. This site is, by far, my favorite motorcycle roadracing stopping point on the 'web. And David, you do yourself an injustice; you are one very, very good journalist.

In addition to that, the tone and content of the comments really set this site apart. The knowledge of those who post here, the depth of their insights, is remarkable, as is the generally civil tone. But best of all, the discussion doesn't veer into personal hostility, politics, religion, or (as happens all too often here in the U.S.) weapons worship. I talk about bikes to get away from all of that nonsense. And when I come here, I know that's what I'm going to find - smart, passionate analysis, and intelligent, dedicated fans of the sport.

Thoroughly deserved and a fitting recognition, which hopefully be reflected in a growing financial reward also, for the amount of time, effort and personal expense you have put in. Dorna should be paying you, not the other way around, for bringing the quality of reporting and analysis to the motoGp scene that mtm provides.

Like so many of internet age neologisms, "blog" can take on meaning which shifts from person to person. In my book I think it means "cut through the crap" and thus can fully endorse you as a master. Possibly goes to explain why this site is the first bookmark on my ipad. Well done, well deserved. Congrats!

So, "attaboy," David. Without question, there is not a peer to be found on the web. As mentioned above, the site is a place to block out all of the noise and anger here in the States and read about what we love most.

I sincerely hope that the folks within DORNA, the MSMA and IRTA read 'Things MotoGP can Learn From F1' and our comments. Your article gave a voice to those that truly care about the sport and it was fantastic to read the exchange of ideas that went on for days within the "comments" section. Our sport needs fixing and fast. Your honest and critical writing shines a light that I hope those in power use to see they've created a disaster.

Thank you for keeping us entertained while keeping MotoGP honest.

lastly, I wish you put the "donate" link back up. So many times after reading a great write-up I want to contribute on the spot but can't!

Another year almost over, the racing finished and barely a whiff of pertol fumes in the air. A great seasons racing in most classes both two wheel and four, the bikes are my passion but has anybody else ever wondered how fast would an F1 car lap Phillip Island?? They are just so fast!
To David and the MotoMatters crew congratulations on your award, and a throughly good job right through the season. Merry Christmas to all those who believe and happy times to those who do not. Looking forward to a happy and hopefully prosperous new year and then testing and racing again.
Seasons Greetings
Beamer12

Great pics from Scott, great comments from some but all of that would not be polarised around a site if not for you great writings!

This is more an achievement in a time where MotoGP only exciting bits come again from reviving Rossi - Stoner stuff (see the juxtaposition above).... so your ability to craft stories and add some layer of "taste" is even more welcome.

Congrats David. You bring up a good point about the word blog. I always thought it was sort of an independent opinion column with its own location in the web. Like others have said, Motomatters offers editorial commentary as well as race coverage, photography and technical insights. That seems more than blogging to me.

No matter, getting the recognition for superior content is the main thing.